Larich - Short Soldier
Larich is a young (mid forties) Dwarf woman, actually somewhat tall for her kind, with a high pitched voice and a somewhat childish attitude. Her mellow nature and friendly demeanor make her friends easily, a somewhat unusual trait, given that most adventurers are at best a bit rough around the edges. Her size, voice, and attitudelend to most people (deliberately or otherwise) treating her like a kind of little sister. She plays this up at times, but is every bit as capable as any other adventurer. Larich was brought to the world of quests and conflict by equal parts wanderlust and being kicked out of Dwarfhome for refusing to choose a profession and stick with it.
While Larich is friends with pretty much everyone in the guild, if she takes a particular shine to the player she'll follow them around when not otherwise busy. While sometimes annoying she makes an effort to be helpful when she can; sparring with the player, helping them study, or teaching them about the six different grades of granite recognized by the Dwarven Masonry Union. If this develops along more romantic lines, Larich attitude towards the player is best described as puppy love.
Larich's story is about how - or even if - she decides to balance the serious with the silly, whether she 'grows up' or not. It also deals with how outward appearances shape how people interact, intentionally or otherwise.
Caroline - The Amazon
Caroline is a relatively normal Plainsdweller woman thats simply tired of life on her family farm. Fortunately, even a relatively normal Plainsdweller woman is still seven feet tall and nearly three hundred pounds. Unlike most Plainsdwellers, though, rather than being rather humble about her strength she embraces it. She's not the best fighter or the quickest learner, but her work ethic and determination to see her choise through more than make up for it.
As with almost any Plainsdweller, Caroline values honesty and reliability (humility, not as much). If the player becomes friends with her they can rely on to go through Hell and back, so long as they carefully stoke her ego and make her feel like a hero. Similarly, the key to ensnaring her romantically is to flatter her and keep her feeling like she's in control (or at least, allow her the space to outwardly say that she is).
Caroline's story revolves around the purpose of power, and to what end Caroline uses hers. She can end up either as an example of exceptionalism (if she simply works to become the best she can and thinks of power as it's own reason), as a leader (if she uses her power to improve her own social and economic standing), or as a hero (if she uses her power to help others).
Esther - Queen of War
The middle-aged widow of an adventurer, Esther bicked up basic combat skills from her late husband and developed a desire to see the continent, intruiged by the mementos and stories he brought back from his travels. As the daughter of a wealthy Doren merchant, she has a refinement and style that give her a rather regal bearing relative to the sort that usually become adventurers, earning her the nickname 'Queen of War'. In spite of her relative newness to the profession, Esther holds a surprisingly large body of knowledge, thanks to her relationship with her late husband.
If the player befriends Esther she becomes a sort of advisor. She's had enough exposure to the upper crust of her parent's world to understand the mindset behind the type that generally fund adventurers, and enough contact with adventurers to understand what drives them. If pressed, she reveals the player reminds them of one of her husband's old friends. As a romantic interest, Esther has the same feckless attitude towards sex shared by many adventurers, she is more reserved about holding a more serious relationship.
Esther's story deals heavily with the Adventurer's Guild and how such a powerful entity fits into the political dynamic of a fantasy world. It deals with how the Guild maintains some degree of neutrality, how it reacts in times of outright war, and when different buyers pit adventurers against each other.
Kelson - White Rose
Kelson is a young Ratkin woman with creamy white fur, which has earned her the nickname 'mouse' among those she grew up with. This name does not please her. As a result she's become rather defensive and hot-headed (partly to counter the weak image that the name carries n her mind). Even so, when she does reign in her aggression the name rather fits - she's a genuinely sweet and gentle girl with those she's comfortable around. Kelson joined the Adventurer's Guild simply as a way of making extra money where she could.
Having come from a family and culture where reliance on others is tantamount to the survival of the group, Kelson can be relied on to do just about anything if the player befriends her. However this works both ways - a player that refuses one of her requests will quickly find her becoming distant. As a romantic interest, Kelson takes the same kind of ultra-aggressive childishness you might see on a playground. She does make her interest in the player very clear however, coming across less tsundere and more crazy bipolar girlfriend.
to clarify since i didn't make it clear in the last post;
Pascavis - romance is open to females/herms
Caspar - romance is open to all
Rex - romance is open to females
Joachim - romance is open to females/herms
(there will be other male homosexual romance options available - a dwarf in the 'bear' mould and a sort of effeminate goblin guy)
Larich - romance is open to all
Caroline - romance is open to men/herms
Esther - romance is open to all
Kelson - romance is open to all
the decision to open more women to same sex relationships is very simply because in the polls i've had up in the past, more people stated that they played women (and herms), and more people expressed interest in fem/fem and fem/herm relationships than man/man and man/herm.
naturally all of these characters are going to be added rather slowly once the game proper starts getting out. probably going to start with kelson and rex, adding the rest of the core eight, and then moving on, adding characters as their locations start coming up. also worth noting is that these are all notable characters, intended to have romantic encounters beyond simple sex, and all capable of joining your party to fight.
5/31/2013
5/30/2013
the guys
Pascavis - Son of Doren
Pascavis is a Imperial master swordsman, recently retired from the Doren guard. After years of hard work and climbing ranks, he began to feel a dissatisfaction with his work. His settled on the idea of becoming an adventurer, always having been intruiged by the strange wanderers that he met so often during his work, usually getting into some sort of trouble. All the same, he sees the Guild's training process as a necessity, because while he can hold his own against any of the combat trainers, his wilderness survival skills were almost nonexistent, having spent his entire life in the city. While constant association with the city's criminal element has hardly left him naieve, he is somewhat ignorant of life outside the city's well-ordered and civil culture.
As a friend, Pascavis is something of a big brother, taking a somewhat protective mentor role if they're weaker than him and a acting as a staunch ally and loyal friend if they're equally matched or stronger than him. As a romantic interest, Pascavis is somewhat awkward, his life in the city guard having left him with time for only a few short relationships. He tends to follow the player's lead, rather than take the initiative on his own. Pascavis has no romantic interest in other men.
Pascavis's story arc revolves around the disconnect he feels between his strength and his possession of it. He is a fantastic fighter, but has always lent his sword to the causes of others, and never his own, to the point where he isn't even sure if he has a purpose on his own.
Caspar - The Hero Born
Caspar is a Highborn from Knell, seeking to become a famous adventure - revered, respected, and feared. His life, to this point, has been spent working towards this goal; he has studied swordsmanship, law, etiquette, court politics, learned how to survive in the wilds, repair his armor and weapons, and anything else he could possibly imagine might be worthwhile to know when questing for fame and glory; everything, that is, except how to be a figure worth admiring. Caspar is incredibly competitive but somewhat good natured about it; in truth, he's too focused on himself to consider actually trying to sabotage anyone else.
Caspar sees the potential the player has if befriended, and quickly seeks to ensure his own greatness by associating himself with the player. The two train together and Caspar makes his loyalty known by deeds as well as words, but all the same, his drive to compete sets him up as a sort of rival. Caspar can (and will) fall in love with any player that happens to strike his fancy, male, female, or otherwise. As in everything else, he tends to be somewhat demanding and self-centered.
Caspar's arc explores the relationships between fame, strength, and social power. If such a book had been written in this world, Caspar would consider 'The Prince' to be his bible.
Rex - The Unfortunate Giant
Rex is a Lizardkin born abnormally large. He stands as tall as an Imperial, with a slim and powerfully muscled body that comes almost without effort. Such individuals are not entirely unheard of among the Lizardkin, but Rex lacks the thick armor-like scales that usually come with his size. The combination of size and a distinct, almost draconic, appearance generally means those like Rex are heralded as great leaders, but his utterly mundane scales leave him stranded somewhere in the middle. Unable to command the respect needed to lead but never quite fitting in among the common people, Rex left the Sun Coast to seek his fate as an adventurer.
Rex and the player can easily become friends simply if the player accepts Rex as he is. Rex, for his part, feels some sort of deep strength in the player, some ethereal quality that seems to make them a born leader. His curiosity about the player, bordering sometimes on being awestruck with them, seats him into the role of a younger sibling. As a romantic interest, Rex finds himself drawn to this same ethereal quality. He sees a certain sort of premeditation in the way the player moves and speaks that utterly enchants him.
Rex's story centers around how he chooses to deal with the situation of his unique birth. It explores ideas surrounding tradition, social expectation, and personal desires.
Joachim - The Killer
Joachim is a calm and controlled older man that, like most Foresters, prefers to remain quiet when not directly spoken to. What makes him unusual is his temper. Whether because of his (rumored) Orcish heritage, some kind of disorder, or an outright curse, Joachim has a propensity to fall into a blind, unthinking rage when he feels his life is at risk. Joachim has joined the adventurer's guild after several years living as a near hermit, having finally decided to try and find something - anything - that can help him learn to control himself.
Joachim, regardless of whatever kind of relationship he has with the player, remains somewhat distant from them. As a friend, Joachim seems to take some small comfort in the player's almost cavaleir willingness to spar with him, to the point where he questions if they even believe his rages are real. As a romantic interest, Joachim is somewhat more complex; he is a bit of a romantic and helpless to the urges of his heart, but his sense tries to keep him from getting too close to anyone, lest he lose control at a bad time.
Joachim's arc examines the unavoidable violence that combat always entails,and where the line is drawn between a civil fight and the sort of tooth-and-nail fighting that people would like to think is only seen in wild beasts.
a listing for the some of the potential party members you'll meet at the start of the game. i've been writing off and on over the past few months, and this is what's come out. i'll post the four ladies tomorrow after i've had time to type them up; hopefully after that i'll be in the mood to pick coding back up. the women are:
Larich - Short Soldier
Caroline - The Amazon
Esther - Queen of War
Kelson - White Rose
Pascavis is a Imperial master swordsman, recently retired from the Doren guard. After years of hard work and climbing ranks, he began to feel a dissatisfaction with his work. His settled on the idea of becoming an adventurer, always having been intruiged by the strange wanderers that he met so often during his work, usually getting into some sort of trouble. All the same, he sees the Guild's training process as a necessity, because while he can hold his own against any of the combat trainers, his wilderness survival skills were almost nonexistent, having spent his entire life in the city. While constant association with the city's criminal element has hardly left him naieve, he is somewhat ignorant of life outside the city's well-ordered and civil culture.
As a friend, Pascavis is something of a big brother, taking a somewhat protective mentor role if they're weaker than him and a acting as a staunch ally and loyal friend if they're equally matched or stronger than him. As a romantic interest, Pascavis is somewhat awkward, his life in the city guard having left him with time for only a few short relationships. He tends to follow the player's lead, rather than take the initiative on his own. Pascavis has no romantic interest in other men.
Pascavis's story arc revolves around the disconnect he feels between his strength and his possession of it. He is a fantastic fighter, but has always lent his sword to the causes of others, and never his own, to the point where he isn't even sure if he has a purpose on his own.
Caspar - The Hero Born
Caspar is a Highborn from Knell, seeking to become a famous adventure - revered, respected, and feared. His life, to this point, has been spent working towards this goal; he has studied swordsmanship, law, etiquette, court politics, learned how to survive in the wilds, repair his armor and weapons, and anything else he could possibly imagine might be worthwhile to know when questing for fame and glory; everything, that is, except how to be a figure worth admiring. Caspar is incredibly competitive but somewhat good natured about it; in truth, he's too focused on himself to consider actually trying to sabotage anyone else.
Caspar sees the potential the player has if befriended, and quickly seeks to ensure his own greatness by associating himself with the player. The two train together and Caspar makes his loyalty known by deeds as well as words, but all the same, his drive to compete sets him up as a sort of rival. Caspar can (and will) fall in love with any player that happens to strike his fancy, male, female, or otherwise. As in everything else, he tends to be somewhat demanding and self-centered.
Caspar's arc explores the relationships between fame, strength, and social power. If such a book had been written in this world, Caspar would consider 'The Prince' to be his bible.
Rex - The Unfortunate Giant
Rex is a Lizardkin born abnormally large. He stands as tall as an Imperial, with a slim and powerfully muscled body that comes almost without effort. Such individuals are not entirely unheard of among the Lizardkin, but Rex lacks the thick armor-like scales that usually come with his size. The combination of size and a distinct, almost draconic, appearance generally means those like Rex are heralded as great leaders, but his utterly mundane scales leave him stranded somewhere in the middle. Unable to command the respect needed to lead but never quite fitting in among the common people, Rex left the Sun Coast to seek his fate as an adventurer.
Rex and the player can easily become friends simply if the player accepts Rex as he is. Rex, for his part, feels some sort of deep strength in the player, some ethereal quality that seems to make them a born leader. His curiosity about the player, bordering sometimes on being awestruck with them, seats him into the role of a younger sibling. As a romantic interest, Rex finds himself drawn to this same ethereal quality. He sees a certain sort of premeditation in the way the player moves and speaks that utterly enchants him.
Rex's story centers around how he chooses to deal with the situation of his unique birth. It explores ideas surrounding tradition, social expectation, and personal desires.
Joachim - The Killer
Joachim is a calm and controlled older man that, like most Foresters, prefers to remain quiet when not directly spoken to. What makes him unusual is his temper. Whether because of his (rumored) Orcish heritage, some kind of disorder, or an outright curse, Joachim has a propensity to fall into a blind, unthinking rage when he feels his life is at risk. Joachim has joined the adventurer's guild after several years living as a near hermit, having finally decided to try and find something - anything - that can help him learn to control himself.
Joachim, regardless of whatever kind of relationship he has with the player, remains somewhat distant from them. As a friend, Joachim seems to take some small comfort in the player's almost cavaleir willingness to spar with him, to the point where he questions if they even believe his rages are real. As a romantic interest, Joachim is somewhat more complex; he is a bit of a romantic and helpless to the urges of his heart, but his sense tries to keep him from getting too close to anyone, lest he lose control at a bad time.
Joachim's arc examines the unavoidable violence that combat always entails,and where the line is drawn between a civil fight and the sort of tooth-and-nail fighting that people would like to think is only seen in wild beasts.
a listing for the some of the potential party members you'll meet at the start of the game. i've been writing off and on over the past few months, and this is what's come out. i'll post the four ladies tomorrow after i've had time to type them up; hopefully after that i'll be in the mood to pick coding back up. the women are:
Larich - Short Soldier
Caroline - The Amazon
Esther - Queen of War
Kelson - White Rose
5/26/2013
on user interface
so, the main reason that i wasn't satisfied with the old interface was that contained a lot of wasted space and unneeded information.
to begin, my basic thought is that any information presented on a given screen should be actionable; it should in some way inform the decisions that the player is making, or else it serves no purpose. stats like strength and agility can have an impact, but they're both very much persistent statistics; they don't change enough to really warrant providing constant updates as to their status. health is relevant; it changes frequently and directly effects whether a player will decide to seek or avoid combat. name is relevant (in parties) to show who owns what health. day and time are (or will be) relevant, because time will at some point impact which events occur when exploring.
level doesn't impact decision making. experience only needs to be listed if there's some sort of system (that the player can impact in a meaningful way) that changes your stats on level up based on some equipped item or such, in which case you're just providing the player with busywork in order to feel like they're getting the most out of the game, which is bad.
secondly, i don't know why there was a second panel for the 10key. yes, it allows mouse controls rather than keyboard - but it doesn't need to be so large. there's already a panel for system output, so that can be used to inform the player of their options, and all you need is a small bar beneath or above that for buttons.
the new ui is going to have 4 distinct sections: character display (party status; name/health, name/health), game text ("you are in a place"), system text ("options: 1. explore 2. find 3. move") and the button bar. no more text input bar; that can be done by popping up a window, since entering your character's name is really the only time it will be used.
i did get a new keyboard last night. this one has three broken shift keys.
to begin, my basic thought is that any information presented on a given screen should be actionable; it should in some way inform the decisions that the player is making, or else it serves no purpose. stats like strength and agility can have an impact, but they're both very much persistent statistics; they don't change enough to really warrant providing constant updates as to their status. health is relevant; it changes frequently and directly effects whether a player will decide to seek or avoid combat. name is relevant (in parties) to show who owns what health. day and time are (or will be) relevant, because time will at some point impact which events occur when exploring.
level doesn't impact decision making. experience only needs to be listed if there's some sort of system (that the player can impact in a meaningful way) that changes your stats on level up based on some equipped item or such, in which case you're just providing the player with busywork in order to feel like they're getting the most out of the game, which is bad.
secondly, i don't know why there was a second panel for the 10key. yes, it allows mouse controls rather than keyboard - but it doesn't need to be so large. there's already a panel for system output, so that can be used to inform the player of their options, and all you need is a small bar beneath or above that for buttons.
the new ui is going to have 4 distinct sections: character display (party status; name/health, name/health), game text ("you are in a place"), system text ("options: 1. explore 2. find 3. move") and the button bar. no more text input bar; that can be done by popping up a window, since entering your character's name is really the only time it will be used.
i did get a new keyboard last night. this one has three broken shift keys.
5/25/2013
a return
the illness is over, the body has been buried, and life is returning to normal. apologies for saying nothing about the hiatus or it's cause, but i prefer to keep my private life private.
i'm going to be rewriting the game engine from scratch, in part because i'm not happy with all of the crap cluttering the screen in the last release (also, it was willed with bugs and fail). the game is going to turn out to be more of a text adventure rpg, rather than roguelike; perhaps i should use this as an opportunity to change the name from 'frogue' to something else. expect a post detailing my thoughts about the old ui, the new ui in the next few days, followed by some npc profiles and (hopefully) a basic release before too long.
while i'm at it, maybe i should get a keyboard that doesn't have two broken shift keys.
i'm going to be rewriting the game engine from scratch, in part because i'm not happy with all of the crap cluttering the screen in the last release (also, it was willed with bugs and fail). the game is going to turn out to be more of a text adventure rpg, rather than roguelike; perhaps i should use this as an opportunity to change the name from 'frogue' to something else. expect a post detailing my thoughts about the old ui, the new ui in the next few days, followed by some npc profiles and (hopefully) a basic release before too long.
while i'm at it, maybe i should get a keyboard that doesn't have two broken shift keys.
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